Starter for motor vehicles



Dec. 31, 1935. L. H. MIDDLETON STARTER FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed A ril 4, 1952 Patented Dec. 31, 1935 UNITED STATES STARTER FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Leslie H. Middleton, Adr Schwarze Electric Com ia-n, Mich, assignor to pany, Adrian, Mich, a

corporation of Michigan Application April 4, 1932, Serial No. 603,109

2 Claims.

This invention relates to control devices for starting prime movers.

This invention has utility when incorporated in electro-pneumatic starters for establishing, or upon occasion, automatically i e-establishing starting of internal combustion motors, especially in motor vehicles.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of a motor vehicle having an embodiment of the invention incorporated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the housing part of the unit, portions being broken away, more especially as to the connections;

Fig. 3 is a view of the device of Fig. 2 with the cover plate removed;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram; and

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the latch as incorporated in the device.

Motor vehicle I is shown as having prime mover or internal combustion engine 2 therein, provided with intake manifold 3. Between this motor or internal combustion engine 2 under the hood of the automobile, there is dash or partition 4 separating such engine from the interior of the vehicle, this dash 5- being forward and below instrument board 5. At this instrument board 5, key 6 may be operated for controlling ignition switch 7 and normally starting the motor, not only as to cutting-in the electric current from battery 8 through the ignition switch 7 for energizing the spark plugs, but for working out complete starting connections especially under the disclosure herein.

The regular ignition system is involved and the starting system having starting motor 9 generator l0, also the regular timer, breakers, coils etc. To the end that this starting switch or ignition may be thus automatically effected, there is associated with this switch '5, switch I! having linel2 thereto from the battery 8. From the other side of this switch H, line l3 extends to coil I '3 in housing I 5. From this coil l4, line It extends to switch ll having ground I8 therefrom. Accordingly, there is closing of the switch I! in a complete circuit through the coil l4 and the normally closed switch ill to ground 98 having connection with ground IQ of the battery 8.

This energizing of the coil l4 pulls plunger 29 thereinto. This plunger 28 is provided with shoulder 2 i, abutting which is insulation Washer 22 carrying terminal 23. This assembly 22, 23, is normally held against the shoulder 2! by compression helical spring 24 as thrust downward from collar 25 held against shifting as to the plunger 20 by readily removable key 26, which is held against longitudinally shifting by its seat in the collar 25. This coil I 4, as thus energized, eifects through the plunger 20, pulling of the terminal or contact 23 toward the coil l4 even to the extent of further compressing the spring 2 3 as the terminal 23 abuts contacts 21, 28. The contact 21 is terminal for power cable 29 from the battery 8. Contact 28 is terminal for power cable 30 to' the motor 9 for starting the engine 2, say by the Bendix type of drive. This motor 2, as thus effective on the engine power shaft, has its power circuit completed by ground 3| in series with the ground IQ of .the battery 8. There is accordingly high amperage and low voltage, say six volts power circuit, thus automatically rendered effective in turning over the motor 2 at a speed, which, even under favorable conditions, does not probably exceed R. P. M.

When the engine 2 starts, it is efiective in its connection to render generator lil operative. This generator It has ground 32 and power line 33 therefrom to the circuit breaker coils, timing devices, as well as to the battery 8.

Directly connected to this generator circuit at the line 33 is line 3 to low amperage coil 35 having ground 35. This coil 35 is accordingly energized at all operations of the generator ID. This coil 35 is effective on plimger 36 to pull against the opposition of coil spring 31 and thereby open the switch ll. It is thus seen that,

as the starting motor 9 has attained firing speed,

the generator ID is generating electric current, and there is eiiectiveness at the opening of the switch 27, notwithstanding the switch I I be closed, that the coil is be de-energized. This means that spring 38 acts against collar 39 in chamber 453 to lift the plunger 26, so that the contacts 23 are clear of the contacts 21, 28. However, this spring 38 is of minor strength and may normally only hold the weight of the mass for idle open position. The sealing tendency for the current at the contacts 23, 27, 28, may thus not be overcome by this spring 38. However, from the intake manifold 3, suction line it extends to chamber 42 wherein spring 43 normally holds check disk 56 in closed position.

This suction line 4! stands ready to lift this check disk 44 and reduce the pressure in chamber 35 above diaphragm 46 held in position between the collar 36 and collar nut ll. This reduced pressure causes a quick upward snapping of the terminal 23 away from the terminals or contacts r 21, 28, thereby cutting off the operation of the motor 9 during the eifective operation of the engine 3 to have pneumatic control of the plunger 28, herein shown as suction.

In the coil Hi there is adjustable stop 48. When the gap between this stop 48 and the plunger 28 is zero, that is, when they are in direct contact, the suction pull in the chamber 45, required, say with the usual vacuum obtained in motor intake at 200 R. P. M., may be in the region of 14 inches of mercury and approximates 15.6 pounds. When the gap between the adjustable stop 68 and the plunger 20 is .0195 inch, the holding force for the terminal 23 as to the contacts 2?, 28, is 6.27 pounds. With the gap .639 inch, the holding action is 3.4 pounds. With the gap .078 inch, the holding action is 1.71 pounds. When the gap is as much as a quarter of an inch, the downward pull is only a fraction of an ounce. It is thus seen that the terminal 23 in its mid-position one-fourth inch from the terminal 21, 28, has initial pulling action which is not great if the stop 48 be of like clearance.

However, with the spring 38 only a balancing spring, this pull may be of increasing force and give an efiective closing and holding for the starting of the motor 9. Furthermore, the area of the diaphragm 46 is suificient to give several pounds pull for opening the switch 23, 21, 28, and

holding such open even should the generator become defective in its operation, say due to trouble in the brushes or other unfavorable conditions, for as long as the engine 2 is operating, the predominate vacuum in the chamber 45 insures the holding of the switch 22, 21, 28, open as to the starting motor 9, even should the coil 35 allow the switch I! to be closed while the switch H is also closed.

The opening of this switch 23, 21, 28, accordingly occurs after the firing operation in the engine 2, for the starter operation of the motor may not be effective to pull the vacuum in the chamber 45 to more than '7 inches.

However, at once the firing starts, the increase in the vacuum at once snaps the switch to open position and there is the holding against shifting due to vehicle vibration of the engine 2.

While occasion therefor may not always be in order, supplemental provision may be taken against vibration of the terminal 23, due to fluctuation pressures in the chamber 45, say even to the extent of no vacuum wherein back firing is stopped by the check valve M. The plunger 28 does not drop under these circumstances, for notch 49 may be engaged by ledge 50 in the plunger 36. This notch 48 is in collar 5! in lieu of the collar 25.

The housing 15 may be located on the engine block 2 or desirably by ears 52 having screws 53 therethrough to anchor this housing, say on the inside of the dash 4 below the instrument board 5. These devices of the unit are enclosed in the housing l5 provided with cover plate 54, attached thereto by screws 55. The check disk 44 is of light weight and one which is not susceptible to reaction by vapors from the fuel. Likewise, the diaphragm 46 is of flexible material, which will not be deteriorated by temperature or time conditions to which exposed. This may be a specially treated fabric or specially treated rubber.

The device hereunder is accordingly one which will be effective upon cutting-in of the ignition, first to have the starting motor efiective in starting the engine 2. At once the engine gets to its firing, the starting motor is cut out and the solenoid or magnets i4, 20, de-energized.

This de-energizing occurs because of the effectiveness of the generator Hi to open the switch IT. This opening of the switch I! is effective at 5 all times during generator operation, and is accordingly not affected by disturbances in the ignition circuit between the generator 10 and the battery or else in the ignition circuit. The pneumatic means are of such relation to the elec- 1 tric means that such offsets in a major degree, any action of the electrical means, and it is a steady and positive control.

Peculiar value arises herein for the cooperation in re-establishing a starting condition, more 1 particularly as such re-establishing of the condition does not detrimentally or disastrously occur while the engine 2 is still operating. That is, there may not be a jamming of the Bendix drive. While the pneumatic control is not efiective for 2 the cut out in the starting until the engine fires, this pneumatic control as to re-establishing a condition, automatically efiects a time lag before the starting motor may be cut in when the engine 2 is started. Assuming that in the opera- 2 tion of the engine 2, 350 R. P. M. may be the idling speed, this holds sufficient vacuum in the pneumatic control. Upon the engine 2 slowing down below idling speed to, say 200 R. P. M. at this point, the generator 10 may be soslowed up 3 that there is not sufi'icient output therefrom to maintain the control conditions. Even though the switch I! be closed, this device does not cut in at 200 RP. M., for the reason that the vacuum is maintained, and under the proportion of 35 parts herein disclosed, in coming down from the firing speed, the engine 2 may be dead or at rest for almost sixty seconds before the diaphragm 46 is sufliciently released so that the solenoid 20 may be efiective in overcoming the 40 holding action and re-establish the cutting in of the starting motor 9.

What is claimed and it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A starter for an internal combustion en- 45 gine including suction means and an engine shaft, said starter embodying therein a motor adapted to be operatively connected with the engine shaft, a generator driven from the engine,

an electric battery, means forming a power cir- 50 cuit adapted to be held open by the suction means between said battery and said motor, a normally open switch in said circuit, a magnet for closing said switch, a control circuit for the magnet, a

manually operable switch in said control circuit 5 closable to energize said magnet, a second normally closed switch in the control circuit, generator actuated means for opening said normally closed switch in the control circuit, and a latch set by the generator actuated means for precluding suction means drop off to release the normally open switch for the magnet closing to re-start the motor during operation.

2. An engine to be started, a starter unit therefor comprising a. housing embodying therein a first solenoid, a first circuit for the first solenoid, a pneumatic chamber in tandem with the first solenoid, a common bar between the first solenoid and chamber, a control effective to prevent minor pressure fiuctuations from releasing the bar even after the bar has been released by vacuum from such fluctuations in the pneumatic chamber, first switch means carried by the bar, a starting motor for the engine, a second circuit for the motor out in by said first switch means, 7

circuit, there being operative connection means from the engine including said second solenoid efiective through said first circuit independent of said pneumatic pressure fluctuation and providing actuation responsive to engine starting for 5 opening said second switch means in cutting out the first circuit and the first solenoid.

LESLIE H. MIDDLETON. 

